Bottom dump car



Oct. 4, 1955 R. BERG 2,719,636

BOTTOM DUMP CAR 1 Filed Sept. 22, 1954 1 i 3 Sheets-Sheet l N k w i L N Q s 2 I: W i k) 2 E 3: l? kg IN V EN TOR.

R. BERG BOTTOM DUMP CAR Get. 4, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1954 R. BERG BOTTOM DUMP CAR Oct. 4, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 Filed Sept. 22, 1954 United States Patent BOTTOM DUMP CAR Ragnar Berg, Canonsburg, Pa.

Application September 22, 1954, Serial No. 457,607

1 Claim. (Cl. 214-43) This invention relates to bottom dump cars.

Bottom dump cars of various designs are well known to those skilled in the art. However, the present invention proposes constructional improvements in a bottom dump car wherein the bottom is hinged to one end plate of the walls forming the sides and ends of the car body, the wheel assemblies being supported on the hinged bottom section.

In one type of construction, the car train is advanced one car at a time over a hinged bridge located over the unloading bin. A bolt locking the hinged bottom to the end plate is then manually withdrawn and the hinged bridge lowered to allow the hinged bottom to open and discharge the material, the side plates of the car being supported by two stationary beams located on each side of the hinged bridge. When the material has been discharged, counterweights aflixed to the bridge, raise the bridge to its previous horizontal position, thus closing the bottom opening of the car. However, this construction suffers from various disadvantages.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a bottom dump car having a replaceable rubber gasket between flanges on the side and end plates and the hinged bottom and operating hooks holding the bottom firmly to the side and end walls when the bottom is in a closed position, these hooks automatically releasing the bottom when the car is in dumping position and automatically locking the bottom after the discharge has taken place.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom dump car wherein the rails supporting the car frame are arranged in a downward curve over the bin in the unloading station in such a way that the train of cars may be discharged While in motion, thus eliminating the starting and stopping necessitated by known constructions. While the hinged bottom is in discharging position, the car body is supported on two narrow roller tables, one provided. on each side of the track. To convey the train of cars over the unloading station, the track may be given sufficient slope so that the train travels by the force of gravity, or, alternately, the rollers of the supporting roller tables may be driven. Other means would consist of roller supported conveyor belts or a motor driven car haul to convey the cars over the unloading station. In any event, the engine wheels would have no traction over the unloading station as they would not touch the rails, the engine body being supported by side flanges resting on the roller tables or conveyors installed at the side of the track- Other objects of the present invention are to provide a bottom dump car bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, inexpensive to'manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to use and eflicient in operation.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a train of dump cars embodying the features of the present invention and shown passing over the unloading station;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2 and showing the hinged bottom of the car in the open position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the cars and showing the spring loaded release mechanism just prior to the release of the same;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the re' lease mechanism after it has been released;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken alon'gythe line 6-6 of Fig. 5

Fig; 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of the present invention; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, 10 indicates a pair of supporting tracks having a downwardly curved portion 11, substantially as illustrated.

A dump car indicated generally at 12 is provided being open at top and bottom and consisting of the sidewalls 13 connected at their ends by the end walls 14. It will be noted (Fig. 2-) that the sides 13 extend vertically downwardly from their upper edges and are then bent inwardly and downwardly. The side walls 13 and end walls 14 near their lower edges are integrally formed with the laterally extending flange 15 to which a bottom 16 islpivotally connected at its forward end by means of a hinge 17, the undersurface of the flange 15 mounting a resilient gasket 18 to provide better sealing contact with the bottom 16.

The undersurface of the bottom 16 (Fig. 2') is provided with the bearings 19 which rotatably mount the axle 20 provided at the opposite ends thereof with the wheels 21 adapted to ride the tracks 10.

The side walls 13 are provided with the laterally eX- tending flanges 22 for a purpose which will hereinafter become clear.

As shown in Fig. l, a plurality of such cars 12 are connected to each other by means of the couplings 23 and are adapted to ride the tracks 10.

A hook-shaped arm 24 (Figs. 4, 5 and 6) is pivotly mounted at the side of the car 12 by means of a pin 25, a spacer member 26 serving to space the arm 24 laterally beyond the longitudinal edges of the flange 15 and bottom 16. As shown in Fig. 4, the lower end of the arm 24 is adapted to engage the inclined undersurface of a block 27 fixedly carried at the side of the bottom 16 whereby to retain the latter in a closed position in tensional engagement with the flange 17, the arm 24 being retained in the locking position by means of a spring 28 secured at its lower end to the side 13 by means ofa pin 29' and pivotally connected at its upper end to the upper end of the arm 24 by means of a pin 30'.

The upper end of the arm 24 is bifurcated, as at 31 and rotatably' mounts a roller 32 by means of a: pin 33. The roller 32 is adapted to ride the undersurface of a stationary guide bar 34 suitably mounted above the tracks 10, the ends of the guide 34 being curved upwardly, substantially as illustrated.

It will be apparent that as the roller 33 engages the undersurface of the guide 34, the arm 24 will be rotated to a released position (Fig. 5) against the action of spring 28 to disengage block 27 and to release the bottom 16, which latter will then move downwardly as the car passes over the curved portion 11 of the tracks. 1

In order to support the car 12 when the same passes over the downwardly curved tracks 11, a pair of endless belts made up of the spacer elements and rollers 36 are mounted on opposite sides of the track 10, 11 by means of the idler rollers 37 and driven rollers 38, the driven rollers 38 being connected to the drive shaft 39 of a motor 40 by means of a belt 41. The motor 40 is mounted upon a platform 42 suitably mounted at the sides of the track. It will be noted (Fig. 2) that the upper stretch of the rollers 36 support thereon the flanges 22 and thereby the car 12 as the latter passes over the downwardly curved portion 11 of the track. The upper stretch of rollers 36 are in turn supported upon the laterally extending flanges 37' secured to the upper edge of the beam 38', the beams 38' resting on suitable supports 39' provided at opposite sides of the track. It will be noted that the wheels 21 are spaced laterally from the endless belts, lying in the same plane as, but spaced longitudinally from the hooked arms 24.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that instead of the endless belts 35, 36, any other suitable means may be provided for supporting the flanges 22 as the car passes over the downwardly curved portion 11, for example roller tables may be employed.

As the train of cars 12 is drawn towards the downwardly curved portion 11 by suitable means, not shown, the bottom 16 will be released from the arms 24 by the guide 34 just before the car reaches the unloading station and while the car body is still supported on the bot-.

tom 16 and tracks 10. The hinged bottom 16 is now free to open when the curved rails 11 carry the rear wheels 21 downwardly, as shown by the car 12:: in Fig. 1, with the contents being dumped downwardly in the direction of the arrow into the loading bin. After the car has been discharged and is again supported upon the once again horizontal bottom 16, the guide 34 at its end once again curves upwardly permitting the spring 28 to return the hook 24 to its locking position. This is best shown by the cars 12b and 12c of Fig. 1. It will be noted that the hooked arm 24 never supports the weight of the bottom 16 and the material thereon, the only function being to assure a tight seal between the bottom 16, flange 15, with the gasket 18 therebetween. This prevents spillage of fine material during travel. It will also be noted that when the car has travelled a sufficient distance so that the rails or tracks are again horizontal, the flanges 22 will leave the rollers 36 and the weight of the car side walls 13 and end walls 14 is then carried directly on the bottom 16. It will be noted that the hooked arms 24 are released and locked when the car sides 13 are supported on bottom 16 before and after the car has been discharged.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 7 and 8, there is shown a modified form of dump car indicated generally at 50 and designed specifically to prevent the material being discharged from striking the rails 11 and including the side walls 51 connected at their ends by the end walls 52, the lower edges of the side walls 51 and end walls 52 being integrally formed with the laterally extended flange 53 to the undersurface of which is secured the resilient gasket 54. A bottom 55 adapted to underlie the gasket 54 and flange 53 is pivotally connected to the front end of the car by means of a hinge 56 supported by a rib 57. Bearing members 58 secured to the undersurface of the bottom 55 rotatably mount the axle 59 to the opposite ends of which are secured the wheels 60, the wheels 66 being adapted to ride the tracks 10, 11 in a manner similar to the first form of the invention.

Laterally extending flanges 61 are suitably secured to the opposite sides of the car 50 and are adapted to be supported upon the upper stretch of the rollers 36 in a manner similar to the flanges 22 of the first form.

In the practice of this modification, a trough-shaped member made up of the bottom wall 62 and the outwardly and upwardly bent side walls 63 is suitably secured to the top surface of the bottom 55 and serves to suitably guide the material between the rails 11 when the car is in discharging position and into the bin therebelow. It will be noted that the rear edges or ends of the side walls 63 are flared inwardly and upwardly to permit their free rotational movement downward past the end Walls 52.

Inwardly and downwardly extending guard plates 64 I are suitably secured to the inner faces of the side walls 51 and receive upwardly on the outer faces thereof the upper edges of the side walls 63 (Fig. 8) so that when the bottom 55 is in the closed position, material will be prevented from entering the space between the side walls 63 and side walls 51.

In other respects the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 through 6.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A dump car construction comprising track means, a loading bin, said track means being curved downwardly from the horizontal and upwardly to the horizontal over said loading bin, a car body open at the bottom, a bottom pivotally connected to the forward end of said car body at the lower edge thereof, laterally extending portions on opposite sides of said car body, roller means at each side of said track means extending across said downwardly and upwardly curved portions thereof, said roller means being adapted to support said laterally bent portions, roller assembly means mounted on the undersurface of said bottom adapted to ride said track means, a laterally extending flange around the lower open edge of said car body, gasket means cooperating with said bottom whereby to seal the same to said flange, locking means for retaining said bottom in resilient contact with said flange and guide means adapted to open said locking means before the car is discharged and to close said locking means after the car has discharged, said locking means comprising laterally extending members on opposite sides of said bottom, a hook-shaped arm pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said car body adapted to engage the undersurface of said laterallyextending blocks, spring means adapted to normally retain said curved arms in locking engagement with said blocks, said guide means comprising an elongated bar on opposite sides of said track means bridging said downwardly and upwardly curved portions, said bar being bent upwardly at opposite ends, roller means rotatably mounted at the upper end of each of said curved arms and adapted to ride the undersurface of said bar whereby to release said bottom before the car is discharged and to lock said bottom in the closed position after said car is discharged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,388,388 Swank Aug. 23, 1921 1,412,869 Holstein Apr. 18, 1922 2,577,040 Sanford Dec. 4, 1951 2,602,402 Sanford, Jr., et al. July 8, 1952 2,686,479 Shields et al Aug. 17, 1954 

